Monday, January 5, 2015

Blog Tour: Heartnapped by @daydreamingj #interview



Contemporary / Interracial Romance
Date Published: July 9, 2014


   
Jayla Simmons never imagined herself working in a place like Vice, but what's a girl to do when she has a child to support all on her own? Her disdain for the place isn't limited to her occupation. Her boss, Carter Rossi, has had a strange fixation on her since she started dancing at Vice, and though she's reluctant to admit it, she's drawn to him as well. Carter Rossi is tired of the cat and mouse game he's been playing with Jayla's since the day she walked into his club. The son of Don Antonio Rossi has been denied few things in life, and Jayla Simmons will be no exception. He'll have her by any means necessary.







Interview


Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

 Heartnapped is, on the surface, a love story, but I'd love for readers to grasp the underlying message of learning from your past without letting it define you.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

 Not really. I look at writing as an adventure. It's fun, and as long as I'm having fun, it's not work or challenging. It's just me playing around. Sometimes, it even turns out something worth publishing.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

 I have written 6 books to date, and they're all my babies of course, but I feel like I grow so much from book to book. I feel like each story is better than the one I put out before, and I think that that is the way it should be. So, at the moment, the sequel to Heartnapped , which is called Heartland, is my favorite, but in a couple of months, that will most likely change.


If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

 I would most likely choose Meagan Good, because I think she could bring the right amount of strength and vulnerability to a character like Jayla Simmons.

When did you begin writing?

I started learning the basics of writing and putting them into practice when I was very young, about 8 or 9, but I'd always been captivated by storytelling, and would make up alternative endings to my favorite fairy tales in my head, or change character motivations around. I've done that for as long as I could remember.

How long did it take to complete your first book?

I started my first book, Purple Hearts, when I was 14, and worked on it on-and-off for six years. It was another year before I had the courage to self-publish it. Thus, beginning my career as an author.

Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

Believe it or not, I think the Bible actually inspired me to become a writer. The tales of the Old Testament were my very first bedtime stories. The Bible is full of some pretty interesting characters and some amazing adventures. Imagining what The Garden of Eden looked like taught me about setting. Sibling rivalries like Cain and Able, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, and Joseph and his brothers taught me about intrigue and plot twists. The story of Moses taught me about character development and how important it was to have heart in my writing. The stories of Christ in the New Testament taught me how to make my heroes larger than life. I could go on and on, but you get what I'm saying.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

 I love when a great idea just hits me out of nowhere and I have to start writing right away.

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

For Heartnapped I'd say -  grit, heart, humor & growth

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

 Well, I just released the sequel to Heartnapped! It's called Heartland, and it continues the story of Jayla and Carter as they attempt to figure out what in the world they've gotten themselves into. Those who are interested can find summaries, samples and buy links for all of my books on my website www.jessicalaneworld.com
I post a calendar of all of my upcoming work for the year on my blog, which you can also find a link to on my website.





I grew up in a tiny town with lots of room for my imagination to grow, and never outgrew my love for playing make believe. I developed my love for storytelling when I was very young, and used it as a way to escape and explain the world around me. That storytelling ability has grown and evolved a lot since then and taken me many different places. I'm having fun following where it leads me. I've been writing since I was a child; seriously, my mom has the crayon illustrated short stories to prove it. My writing has been mostly private since the end of my UIL creative writing days circa 1998. The writing bug bit me again when I was a freshman in high school, and I finally had the guts to publish my first e-book, Purple Hearts, in July of 2013! Now, I'm hooked, and determined to make a career out of this little passion of mine. My writing style is very direct with a little bit of humor. Alpha males are my guilty pleasure, but don't expect my female main characters to be passive damsels in distress. Every girl needs a little spark to her to keep the guys on their toes, right? I write mostly interracial/paranormal romance, but I've been toying with contemporary and historical romance plots as well. In short, I'm a dreamer by nature and an artist by trade. I endeavor to take my readers on a different journey with every new story I write.



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